BJ's music almost never does it for me, this song is no exception
When I think of Bruce Johnston as a BB, I picture a scrawny freshman nerd
, trying to fit in with the jr. and sr. jocks
. it just doesn't work for me. There's nothing rock and roll about him at all, and then he's gonna call them "surfin Doris Days"
.....that quote alone just ugh
.
If I may correct you mildly, what Bruce actually said was something along the lines of "People look at us and think we're surfing Doris days". Said with some exasperation.
Yea I know it's just the "surfin Doris Days" part that gets me. it's just so.......
Not really. And, I agree with Andrew. The perception was not the reality. They were stereotyped as uncool, marginalized, under-appreciated. People might not agree, but I maintain that it was the continuous live performing that kept the music out there, and viable. It was an under-the-radar strategy. Many analogies to politics, where a candidate, or some other entity, stays visible, and therefore, viable. And I have always felt that it was the record company, who under-marketed Pet Sounds, who was culpable. That seems to have been the catalyst. The music quality didn't change, looking at subsequent albums. They actually got bolder and took more chances, creatively. Even if not commercially successful, it was moving forward, nonetheless.
And, as far as Manilow goes, his vocal work was heard with the many commercials he did, such as for McDonalds, "You deserve a break today," and "I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, cause Band-Aid's stuck on me" commercial jingles. He was prolific, in a non-traditional way. That song came along at just the right time for Manilow, who had this hit called, "Could it be Magic" and constructed from Chopin's Prelude in C-Minor. That Grammy was well-deserved, and, frankly added to the BB cred.
Winchester Cathedral winning, was so off-the-wall, against Good Vibrations. Where are they now? I know where the BB's have been with C50.
Author
